BHUBANESWAR: Nearly eight months ahead of the deadline, the Centre on Friday achieved its target of providing five crore LPG connections under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the scheme on May 1, 2016 and set the target to provide cooking gas connection to five crore BPL families by March, 2019.Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan handed over the LPG connection to Takrdiran of Delhi to complete the five crore mark. Acknowledging the vision of the Prime Minister and leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Speaker appreciated the collective efforts of the Ministry officials and oil marketing companies in achieving the target.
The scheme was implemented through distributors of IOCL, BPCL and HPCL across the country.
While six States accounted for nearly 65 per cent of the connections provided so far, 47 per cent of the beneficiaries are from the weaker sections of the society including SCs and STs. Uttar Pradesh topped with 87 lakh connections, followed by West Bengal with 67 lakh, Bihar with 61 lakh, Madhya Pradesh with 45 lakh, Rajasthan with 37 lakh and Odisha with 30 lakh connections.
PMUY has been recognised by WHO as one of the decisive intervention by the Government to address indoor air pollution which accounts for nearly 10 lakh deaths in a year in the country. Meanwhile, considering the huge success of the scheme, the target has been revised to eight crore with budgetary allocation of `12,800 crore during the current financial year. PMUY aims at providing clean-cooking fuel to poor households which are otherwise vulnerable to various health hazards associated with indoor air pollution and bringing in qualitative charges in the living standards.